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Creative Boost

Creative Boost was a year long programme led by Skills East Sussex and developed with the backing of the Creative and Digital Sector Taskforce, a group established by Skills East Sussex to strengthen connections between schools and the sector.

Schools accessed a range of opportunities designed to strengthen their arts offer and to help young people recognise their own creative thinking and how these skills relates to the way they learn and work. These included support from Towner to develop Arts Award and a series of Creative Café events delivered by Culture Shift.

What happened?

Creative Cafés are our well-established facilitation model for connecting young people with employers and professionals. It rests on creating an environment where young people and professionals can connect and converse in a structured and informal way. With this project we applied this strategy to develop a teacher CPD event.

91% of students who filled in an exit questionnaire thought the event ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. Asked to rate the extent to which students felt informed and aware of careers in the creative industries pre- and post- event, the answers showed significant change. There was a 68% rise in the number who now themselves as aware or very aware and a 51% rise in those who now felt informed or well-informed.

[I enjoyed] meeting new people and having the confidence to talk.

[The best thing was] finding out you don’t have to stick to one thing.

Everyone was very friendly and helped people believe in themselves lots.

[I learned] that careers in creativity can take different forms.

Students attending the event

The students [were] given an amazing opportunity to meet so many creative professionals. It was brilliant that they were able to meet with more than one, and to be able to choose the professionals that they wanted to work with. I loved seeing our students engaging so well with so many different people and activities… They need a lot more creative careers- based events as they do not get to see this side of the creative subjects very often.

Participating teacher

Outcomes for teachers

Outcomes for teachers were very similar to those for students. The key value for them was ‘interacting with professionals from all disciplines’.

It was a chance to meet professionals and see how industry changes.

Participating teacher

The CPD event highlighted the challenge teachers face in promoting careers in the creative sector in schools, despite evidence that suggests it is one of the fastest growing sectors. They requested more networking events like this and more input for parents to raise their awareness about potential careers in the sector.

Outcome for professionals

For professionals these events serve to highlight the value of simply meeting young people or teachers for a half day. The benefits can work both ways.

[As a result of this project, I] resolve to devote a bit more time personally to always consider the inclusion or potential learning opportunities in every appropriate project I work on.

Matt Royston-Bishop, sound engineer

It’s inspired me to want to engage further in education and help young people engage with the cultural sector. It’s also helped me see my own work more clearly and given me an extra drive!